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Working around retaining wall obstruction
I need to build a series of stepped retaining walls. One of the walls needs to be built right where four plastic Sched. 40 pvc electrical conduits are run. The conduit crosses the path of the wall at an oblique angle, maybe 15 degrees. Each wall will be 4 feet or less in height and the conduit would pass through the wall in the second or third layer of vertical blocks.
Is there a reasonable way to resolve this without pulling the wires and running new conduit?
Maybe a few blocks could be cut to allow the conduit to pass through and the voids filled with compacted sand?
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
Thanks, Murf, that's what I feared. What if we were to build
a small concrete form in place of one of the blocks and pour
some concrete around it? This would be in a layer of block
that would be buried so appearance isn't an issue.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
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KW are you using geogrid between the lifts of backfill?
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No plans for geogrid. I'm planning on a base of compacted sand with drainage (gravel,drain pipe,fabric) at the rear base of the wall.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
According to the block manufacturer geogrid is not necessary for walls less than 4 feet high. Have you found that not to be true?
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
Thanks for the info. There's no way a cement truck could drive in this area but the upper wall will be about the minimum allowable distance from a shed and a tractor may be driven parallel above the lower wall. I'll see about putting in some geogrid too.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
Relocating the wall is not really an option - the location is dictated by the need to control hillside erosion so the shed doesn't slide down the hill in a couple of years  It already has settlement cracks in the concrete floor and the doors don't close right anymore.
Moving the conduit will add another couple of days to the job but it looks like it has to be done. I'll have to disconnect all power and control wiring at the generator in the shed, pull the wires out, dig deeper (and hopefully avoid the geothermal ground loop), rework the conduit, fish the wires back through and then reconnect everything. Yech. Oh well
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
Murf, going over the wall would be nearly be the same amount of work as going under and not nearly as attractive in a finished landscape. Moving the shed would be a major job - the generator is bolted to a concrete floor, plumbed to a 1000 gallon propane tank and wired to the house. I know where the geothermal loop runs so I could go over that, drop below and under the wall, then up to the shed. The part I mostly wanted to avoid was disconnecting and pulling the wires and then fishing them through and reconnecting again but it's for a good cause.
KT - Thanks for the link. The shed is really in pretty good shape now with just the signs of trouble ahead. If another year or two goes by then I'm afraid some real damage will occur.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
Thanks for the idea Murf. That sounds more expensive than building a new shed!
The shed is the main reason for building the retaining walls this year, but long term we wanted them anyway to convert a steep slope adjacent to the house to level ground that can be used for a dog run and small greenhouse in the future.
I'll post some before and after pics.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
My understanding is that it's sort of a woven mesh material that is buried to stabilize the soil. The soil locks onto it and it helps to hold it in place.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
The manufacturers design book explains all about drainage on these stacked walls. A perforated pipe is wrapped in landscape fabric and surrounded by gravel at the rear base of the wall and it drains to daylight. I'm not yet sure exactly where that daylight will be but it will be found somewhere.
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Working around retaining wall obstruction
OK, I'm taking Murf's advice and moving the wall. I was trying to avoid rebuilding the steps on the deck but that seems a lot easier than moving the conduit. The steps have 7-8 risers now and with the wall they will be down to only two or three, which is less deck to maintain (always a winning strategy!).
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Gas Generator Weather Protecti
08-07-2008, 08:59 
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